Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Safest way up Mt Russell

Hi folks,

What is the safest way up to the peak of Mt Russell?

The most straightforward and cowardly way up and down...

thank you

Others here are infinitely more qualified to answer this, since I haven't summitted Russell. But I believe you slog up Carillon and then across the Caroillon/Russell saddle and then along the east ridge of Russell?

from what I have researched, it is pretty hair raising, either way ... I have not found a relative safe way up ... meaning, without exposure ... kind of like whitney trail....

There is no route "kind of like the Whitney trail".

It's either the Carillon/Russell saddle, or a strong class 3 climb up from the Whitney/Russel pass, including lots of loose talus, where you need to pay attention to find the correct route.

I have gone up from W/R pass, but not the W/C saddle. I think, except for the steep drops on both sides of the W/C saddle, that route would be easier.

But both routes are far from being like any trail.

Looking for one with th least exposure ....

thanks,

There is no trail, and route finding experience is an imperative skill to have.

All of the routes have exposure, the south face, right side, being perhaps the "least" but it is still there. Rock is rated at Cl3 with a few Cl4 moves up the south face.

Russell is not a walk-up peak. Perhaps that's why it was one of the last 14ers climbed in CA, and one of Norman Clyde's favorites.

so exposure begins from what altitude? In other words, at what altitude, the class3 stuff begins and you get that feeling that "gee, this is not a Mt Whitney type trail anymore1!"

thnx

<wondering why, in god's name, why, am I allowing myself to be sucked into this>

OK, let's try another tack here:

There is no trail. NO trail. Lack of trail. Independent route finding. Not a trail. Sans trail. Dearth of leveled ground that might indicate a trail. NO trail. Absence of anything looking like a trail. By the way, did I mention that there is no trail? Really, I kinda meant it the first time: NO TRAIL.

There is a route, a use trail, marked by cairns at which you could sacrifice a goat, that begins at the north fork junction along the MAIN TRAIL. This will take you, when the snow melts off, to either Upper Boy Scout Lake or Iceberg Lake. There are routes, which would require ROUTE FINDING, because there is NO TRAIL, that will take you either up to the Russell-Carrilon Col (for the east ridge), Sakai Col (for the south face), or Whitney-Russell Col (for the south face). But if you are looking for a superhighway of burnished ground winding through granite marked by rocks along the edges, you will find that there is NO TRAIL. If you are expecting a trail to end and the scrambling to immediately begin and reach the summit quickly, you will be disappointed, because there is NO TRAIL.

The exposure for the east ridge begins just above the R-C Col, about 12.5K. For the south face it looks to be a bit higher, perhaps 13K?

Heh heh... Laura, you got sucked into it like a tornado!

And even though there is NO TRAIL, (it is the Mountaineers Route for Mt Whitney until you branch off), you are required to carry either a Whitney Main Trail day hike permit if you go in for the day, or otherwise as a North Fork overnight permit.

Laura,

Are you saying there is no trail? How about a road, say like White Mtn.?

I don't understand the confusion - just take the damn tram to the summit, have a nice cup of Starbucks, and call it a day.

The safest way up Russell is the CH-47 Chinook..............................................DUG

Then there's the Osprey, Sea Stallion, Seahawk, Harrier, etc...

He said SAFEST. I already researched the high altitude landing capibilites of those aircraft and based on my 25+ years in military aviation I suggested the CH-47. You REALLY don't want to be in an Osprey or a Harrier as they try to touch down on Russell.

So, with my over 45 seconds of google research I stand by suggestion of the rock solid CH-47. Or the trail. Whichever..........................DUG

So is a pass easy to get to climb Russell?

Also, how are snow conditions at that altitude? Anyone been up there recently?

thanks,

JOJO:

The moose may have been a little hard on you.

I've climbed Russell ten times by four different routes. I believe the East Ridge (from the Russell Carillon saddle) is the easiest and safest.

Except for the first few minutes after you leave the parking lot, there is no maintained trail. However, there is a use trail that isn't terribly hard to follow. It's much harder than following a maintained trail, but it's also much easier than bushwhacking cross-country with no sign of where other climbers went before you. The use trail disappears in places, and you will definitely need some routefinding skills. You will have to negotiate the E-ledges below Lower Boy Scout Lake and a few other minor sections with easy rock scrambling.

The real climbing begins shortly after you leave the Russell Carillon saddle. There is a lot of class 3 rock climbing on the way to the summit. You will need routefinding skills to find the easiest and safest route. When I first saw this ridge (from the summit of Carillon), I thought it couldn't possibly be only class 3. With good routefinding, it really is class 3, but the exposure is impressive. There is one point where a slip could take you something like 1,200 feet down the north face. If you are comfortable with exposure and lots of class 3 climbing, it's a classic.

Could one possibly ride a mountain bike up Russell?

Are there any facilities along the way? A potty with running water perhaps?

Aright, just kidding. We better stop with this line of questions or Laura will cook a 12 course meal.

One other thing--people seem to often refer to the entire route up the North Fork drainage as the "Mountaineer's Route"--this is not correct, is it? You can take the North Fork drainage up to many destinations, right? Thor, or Carillon, or East Buttress, etc., without taking the MR, which I understand is the gully right of the East Buttress above Iceberg Lake, correct?

Correct.

> which I understand is the gully right of the East Buttress above Iceberg Lake, correct?

...> Correct.

Hmmmm.... I have always thought of the entire off-trail section, starting where one first leaves the Main Mt Whitney Trail at the North Fork Lone Pine Creek crossing, continuing all the way to the summit, as "The Mountaineers Route".

Maybe we should take a vote.

What's the name on the TRAIL signage? ...........................................................DUG